Insideline previews the 2014 M3 Coupe, but what they meant to say was the 2014 F82 M4 - V6 rumors again?

Before we delve into the details of what is coming in the next gen M3 platform, we found it interesting Insideline (who usually is closer to enthusiast nomenclature than most) titled this piece and renderings with "M3 Coupe." Is this an error or an effort to make the articles easier to read for the masses? Enthusiast sites seem to be in agreement the the next generation M3 platform coupe will be called the M4 and receive its own F82 code/designation. Major blogs have all also reported BMW is adding a 4 series which will of course be the new 3 Series coupe platform essentially. So what gives, especially considering they mention the M4 and F82 at the bottom of the article?

Insideline has made mistakes before (stated no 1M was coming) so do not read all of this as if it is set in stone. However, the car is supposed to get a V6. Why? Well, a V6 can sit further back than an I6 and secondly because it will mirror the setup of the N63 V8. That means two turbos sitting in the valley. Knowing BMW, it may just be the N63 platform with two cylinders sliced off. Early guess is the displacement is 3.3 liters. I say just give us the N63 instead in the M3 but ok, fine, the V6 reasons do make sense.

Insideline states the horsepower will be at 429. Then the odd comment is made that this is enough to fend off the C63 AMG. Um, no it isn't. The P31 C63 AMG will eat this alive and we highly doubt Mercedes will just leave the C63 the way it is when the new M3 hits. Mercedes already started the precedent of putting their main AMG V8 in the C-Class so if Mercedes repeats this and gives the C the M157... it's game over kids. The DCT was enough to hold the C63 off and make it close enough but if a twin turbo 5.5 liter V8 comes to town that only needs some software, well, as stated earlier.

The new M3 and M4 are expected to get down into the 34XX range. Which is fine, as this is E46 M3 weight. We like everything for the most part but 429 horses just does not seem to be enough. This would be a very small increase and not proportional to the one which the M5 received. Why not keep the M3 within 100 horses as has been the case with the E36, E46, and E92? Hopefully BMW ups the ante more than this.

The 4 Series is not a Coupe or Cabriolet. They are offshoots of the 3 Series. Meaning that Series gets new varients, such as GT, etc with a higher pricepoint. And no, BMW did not learn a lesson with it F07 5 Gt either. The M3 will go back to it's roots, so to speak. They have looked at a version of the S6344Tu and making a V6 but not going to happen. They are sticking with an enlarged Inline 6 with a stated horsepower of around 440-450hp. And the damn thing will probably hit around 480hp +/-. The optics will be much more aggressive than this rendering, think E82 1M for fender flare sizing if you have seen one in the flesh. It is wide as hell!

They are not going to have an M3 Sedan and then get rid of the much better selling Coupe and name it an M4 to outrage M fans planet wide. They are not going to take four generations of the iconic brand car and toss it in the trash. Don't believe what you read on the internet, what I just wrote notwithstanding!

I bet it will not look like this. This is a e92 with the front and rear swapped from a f30..net render at least change the sideskirts and side grills

+1 I was thinking they incidently put pics of an E92 with this article, but upon closer look there are some "differences"

Well, powerwise BMW has to put at least 450hp in this, with a possible CLS version in the 500hp range. Otherwise the gap to the C63 will get too large, especially as the Mercedes is now pretty much on par to the M3 handlingwise. That used to be the big advantage of the E46/E9X generation M3s.

The 4 Series is not a Coupe or Cabriolet. They are offshoots of the 3 Series. Meaning that Series gets new varients, such as GT, etc with a higher pricepoint. And no, BMW did not learn a lesson with it F07 5 Gt either. The M3 will go back to it's roots, so to speak. They have looked at a version of the S6344Tu and making a V6 but not going to happen. They are sticking with an enlarged Inline 6 with a stated horsepower of around 440-450hp. And the damn thing will probably hit around 480hp +/-. The optics will be much more aggressive than this rendering, think E82 1M for fender flare sizing if you have seen one in the flesh. It is wide as hell!

They are not going to have an M3 Sedan and then get rid of the much better selling Coupe and name it an M4 to outrage M fans planet wide. They are not going to take four generations of the iconic brand car and toss it in the trash. Don't believe what you read on the internet, what I just wrote notwithstanding!

The 4 Series is coupe, cabrio, and 4 door coupe. The GT will be with the 3.

E46 M3 owners said E92 M3 will lose to a C63 when it first came but a DCT M3 runs neck and neck with a C63 though C63 has %50 more torque and 40 hp. Now E9X M3 owners are saying the same for F30 M3.

Is it really hard to not to be so negative? Benz won't give C63 a +500HP engine unless they bump the power of other M157 cars (E63, CLS63, etc) mid to high 500's (without the PP-Package of course). With a E46 like curb weight and 450hp (C&D claim) M3 will be as fast as the next C63.

Now i know somebody will point the tuning potential part, but that's a lame excuse really. No manufactures consider the tuning potential when they create an engine. Some engines like the S65 are already maxed out from the factory in NA form, some like the M156 just come to life when modded.
No one $#@!ed about the difference tuning potential between S65 and M156 when those came, same is true for S54 and M113 but now it's considered as a valid reason to whine?